Precious Gemstones
by Hysteric Polaris
Summary: ...A promise made by two foolish children long ago. A foolish dream of overcoming death... [A novelization of Jade Curtiss's past, created from a rough translations of the Bandai Namco Tales of the Abyss novel and other official sources.]
1. Fomicry

Author's Note: Recently, a friend of mine sent me a rough translation of Jade's past that she found while perusing the intarweb. What's most interesting about it is that it was a rough translation of the OFFICIAL Japanese Tales of the Abyss novel and Character Episode Bible, so aside from my overanalysis of their feelings and my paraphrasing of their dialogue (as the rough translations were far beyond "rough"), I present to you my novelization of Jade Balfour's OFFICIAL past.

---**PROLOGUE**---

Van had fallen. Auldrant was safe. And Luke was bid his farewells.

The entire gang wanted nothing more than for Luke to accompany them on their safe passage home aboard the Albiore, but he had one final task to complete on this foresaken Eldrant replica. "Don't worry, I promise I'll return," Luke swore. All eyes were on him and all faces wore a visage of both hope and despair.

Wordlessly, the group turned around and hid their sadness from Luke as they left the area, knowing there was nothing more they could do to change the way this story would end. It had been a long time since any of them had been able to return home free from worries regarding the future of their planet however, and Noelle was quick to remind them of the joyous occasion by greeting them all with encouraging smiles at the passenger door.

Jade was at the back of the queue being led into the Fontech aircraft, brooding silently as he always does, but uncharacteristically not sporting his trademark grin. 'This is the last--' He was so distracted by his thoughts that he halted his progress before entering the Albiore and turned about face, staring into the sunset distractedly. Luke was somewhere in that direction, probably facing the final obstacle of his life. 'No, it's not like that... He's...'

_MORE THAN 25 YEARS EARLIER..._

A young woman with a bright blonde bed head was just waking up. It was still so early in the morning though and the sun had yet to rise. Sitting up in her bed and stretching her arms over her head, she clambered to her feet and made herself decent. Still yawning, she grabbed a coat and headed outside to check on something in the backyard. All night, this terrible scent had been abusing her nostrils, and at first, she figured that it was just a passing aroma, but as she had woken up to it this morning as well, she decided to pursue the stench and eradicate the source.

Upon reaching the rear of her home however, she gasped and stumbled backward in the snow in fear. Screams of terror tore from her lips and echoed through the empty streets. There were monsters in her backyard! Blood was everywhere... But after this initial shock, realization hit her that the blood painting their backyard was that of the monsters themselves. She breathed a sigh of relief and fought back the adrenaline tremors still racking her body.

'Jade...' she growled to herself. As if on cue, a boy whose face was hidden behind a curtain of light brown locks opened a window from inside her house. As he pulled away the offending strands of hair from his eyes, he rubbed at them sleepily.

"What are you crying about so early in the morning, Nephry...?" he called, clearly still half-asleep. Not that anyone else could be any more awake at this hour.

"What am I crying about?? You're killing monsters again--I thought mother distinctly ordered you to stop!!" Nephry's voice shook with residual fear, but Jade appeared to remain unaffected by his sister's plight. So with a straight face seeming to lack any conscience or guilt, Jade closed the window on his sister without dignifying her with a response.

---**CHAPTER ONE**---

The next morning, Nephry found herself knocking at her brother's door timidly. "Jade? Can I play with you...?"

"No," came a firm response from inside his bedroom. Nephry tried at the doorknob to enter anyway but found it locked.

"Well, can I at least come in?" She didn't want to sound desperate, but she really wanted someone to play with...

"No; I'm reading and I don't want you messing with my books." Jade was an avid reader and loved to study and learn new things, but sometimes, Nephry had reason to believe that Jade loved his books more than her, his own flesh and blood, and it made her feel unloved and neglected... She downcast her eyes sadly as she groped around her mind for one last plea.

"...Would you maybe like to come to the spa with me then?" She could hear Jade breathe a frustrated sigh from within and felt her heart become heavy realizing the impending disappointment.

"I have no interest in lounging about with a bunch of smug, stuck-up, wealthy adults," he admitted flatly. At that point, Jade could hear a feint sniffle and the fading pad of her feet against the carpeted flooring. Good...now he could read in peace.

---

Nephry sadly trudged herself back to her bedroom and sat down on her bed, hugging her most precious doll to her chest. Tears began to roll from her cheeks onto her doll's perfect porcelain face, staining it with her sadness, which only made her feel worse. Why did Jade have to be so cruel to his only sister? She just wanted to play with him...

Setting her doll down carefully beside her, she laid down slowly on the bed and stacked a few pillows to lean against. But as she rested herself against them and reached over to retrieve her doll, she realized all too late that it had been placed dangerously close to the bed's edge. Nephry watched in terror as it fell from the safety of her covers.

_SMASH!_

Nephry peered over the edge of her bed, eyes wide, just about ready to break down from the overwhelming emotional stress of the morning overall, and burst into a hysterical fit. She couldn't regulate her breathing properly and her tears absolutely refused to stop raining down from her bloodshot eyes.

At hearing the crash and the crying, Jade slowly stood from his mountain of print and wandered out into the foyer, peering down the hall into Nephry's bedroom where the source of the commotion seemed to lurk. He noted that her favorite porcelain doll lay on the floor beside her bed in pieces. Just as he thought...something had been broken; it was time to test out his new abilities.

Grinning abnormally wide for such a depressing situation, Jade casually waltzed into Nephry's bedroom, staring at her trembling form calmly despite her body racking before him with uncontrollable sobs. "J-J-Jade..." she whimpered desperately.

He made no response to her directly, but kneeled himself beside her broken doll and set up the Fonic Arte he'd prepared. Nephry watched her brother attentively and her sobs started to calm themselves slowly but surely. Was Jade going to repair her doll...?

Activating the Fonic Arte by speaking its corresponding chant, a brand new doll that looked exactly like the original had before it'd been broken formed itself in a shining blue aura beside the broken one. He'd formed a replica and invented the Arte of Fomicry successfully; he had just watched all of his hard work come to fruition.

Extraordinarily proud of himself and his work, he looked up into his sister's eyes upon the bed and saw not appreciation, but fear. No one had ever looked at him in such a manner no matter what they'd called him or secretly thought about him. He'd often been told he was a cold child, even sometimes calculating or manipulative, but the look in her eyes really made him feel like he was something evil. Something subhuman. He raised himself to his feet without breaking eye contact and his smile had long since been wiped away.

Nephry crawled backwards as far as she could from him to the corner of her bed in utter fear of her brother and his abhorrent abilities. Jade couldn't handle her reaction and bolted from the bedroom without looking back.

---

Jade wasn't one to lose composure so easily. Stepping back into his bedroom and closing the door behind him, he closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and put the scarring image of his sister's haunting face out of sight.

"Jade! Jaaade!" a cheerful voice rang from outside. Jade glanced at the clock and noticed that while a good amount of time had passed, it was still rather early in the morning. There was only one person that could be.

With no sign of Nephry heading to answer the door, Jade dejectedly answered it in her stead and was met with two large amethyst eyes. "Good morning!! There's so much fresh, beautiful snow on the ground this morning...it's going to be such a nice day, don't you think?" the overexcited child continued as Jade watched unamused.

'...Saphir's much too early again.'

"Oooh, did you lose the last of your baby teeth already, Jade?" Saphir asked, spying a few of Jade's teeth between his slightly-opened lips. "I'm so jealous; you've got all of your adult teeth now!" Completely ignoring Saphir's rambling attempts at compliments and stimulating conversation, Jade turned his attention to the footsteps approaching from behind him inside. The now-present Nephry glanced back and forth between Jade and Saphir, noticing that they were both already wearing their backpacks for school that day, and promptly gasped at her foolish error, running back inside to fetch her own. Jade sighed at how forgetful she was sometimes and was extremely grateful that she was pretending as if what happened earlier never did. He didn't want to remember it and he didn't want anyone else to find out about it either.

Jade shook his head to signify the mental dropping of the subject and turned back to Saphir, addressing him verbally, "Saphir."

"Yes, Jade?" Saphir responded happily, like a loyal puppy. Saphir was so amusing in that respect. 'I bet he really wants to know...' Jade chuckled in his mind and decided to leave the boy hanging desperately on his last word, clutching futiley at his silence, hoping for more, for a message addressed to him and only him... It was simply driving Saphir mad! "What?? What is it??" Saphir begged, both in frustration and anticipation.

"No one asked you to come here every morning. Stop it." Jade spat. His eyes were unwavering, unnerving, and never left contact with Saphir's for even a moment, as if challenging him. However, in comparison, Saphir's eyes flickered with doubt and weakness.

"But I...wake up extra early every morning, just for you...I like walking to school with you," he sounded so hurt and was struggling to stay strong. His mind fished around for hope while his staring battle with Jade waged on. Just then, the realization hit him. "Oooh, I get it!" Saphir's mouth curled into the cutest smile and he clapped his hands together with enthusiasm. "You're going to pick me up at my house from now on! That makes me so happy!!" It truly did, Jade could tell, which is why he simply couldn't resist delivering a dream-crushing retort.

"That's not what I meant, idiot." His message was clear and Saphir's morale had run dry. His emotional supports buckled and he began bawling right there on Jade's doorstep.

"You're the idiot, idiot!! I'm not playing with you anymore!!" With that, Saphir ran off to school without him and Jade couldn't help but smile. Saphir would come crawling back to him later that day; there was no doubt in his mind.

"Saphir...is so wierd," which was exactly why he delighted in torturing him so.

"Did Saphir leave already?" Nephry called from inside as she approached once more, this time bearing her backpack.

"Yes. I think we can expect great Fonic Artes from him at school today."


	2. Fonic Sight

---**CHAPTER TWO**--- 

The Oracle Knight stood from her seat and began to take roll call. Gelda Nebilim had recently moved here to Keterburg on leave from her duties as a Knight in order to teach fledgling Knights, ages five to twelve. Few youths seemed particularly interested in her classes however, as her class only consisted of five boys and three girls.

"...Mr. Balfour?" she called from the list. No response. Looking up from her attendance sheet she noticed that Jade was indeed absent, and, as she approached Saphir's desk (seeing as he was too short for her to even see him in that seat normally), neither was Saphir. She was taking a mental note to change Saphir's seat assignment when she did a double-take at Saphir's desk.

The letters "Jad" appeared to be carved into the desktop with fine precision in Fonic symbols. 'Saphir must really..._like_ Jade,' she pondered, correctly assuming that Saphir had yet to add the "e" that would complete the name.

Just as she was heading back to her desk, Saphir ran into the classroom bawling and clearly upset, with his nose running, mucus residue all over his face and hands. Students murmurred amongst themselves as he started to voice his complaints to his professor.

"Professor! Professor!! Jade said such mean things to me!! He--" As if on cue, Jade strided casually into the classroom; his sudden appearance provoked the class's murmurs to evolve into noisy gossiping. Saphir's breath caught in his throat as he locked eyes with his offender. "Jade!"

Saphir had no recollection of ever having been quite this upset with Jade before; he was so infuriated! Wiping some more mucus off from under his nose, he raised his fists in an attempt to pick a fight with Jade, but Jade just stared back at him unfazed. "What?" he queried calmly, acting as if he had done nothing to provoke such behavior.

"You know very well what!" Saphir actually leapt forward and shoved Jade, ultimately lacking the courage to physically harm him. "What you said earlier, you called me an idiot!!"

Jade looked stunned that Saphir would dare to shove him, but the shock was short-lived as he folded his arms and promptly fibbed his way out of punishment, "I have no idea what you're talking about." Saphir wasn't expecting this complete denial from him and his posture straightened in an angered awe. How could he just tell such bold faced lies with a straight face? How could Jade make him out to be a liar and get off scott free?? How could he do this to him??

Nebilim grabbed each of their shoulders gently and led the boys to the wall mirror in the corner of the room. "Stand here," she commanded, motioning toward the vacant area before the mirror. "Do you want to know what I see?" Jade's reflection stared back at himself with a straight, cold face, but Saphir's reflection looked over at Jade's apologetically and longingly, wishing nothing more than to be able to be on speaking terms with his precious Jade again. But of course, Jade nor his reflection paid the Saphirs any notice.

Saphir's head drooped sadly until he heard Nebilim's voice coo softly above them, "I see..." His head perked up to look into her eyes hopefully as he felt her grip on their shoulders tighten for a second. "...two boys who are the very best of friends and would never let something so petty come between them. Wouldn't you agree?" Saphir smiled and nodded happily in agreement, wiping away the remaining fluids from under his nose onto his sleeve. There was no response from Jade. "I expect you two to act grown up about this and apologize to each other later, all right? No more sad faces." Professor Nebilim always seemed to know what to say.

---

Jade's hand raised slowly. "Yes, Mr. Balfour?" Nebilim called, permitting him to pose his question to her.

"Does this particular Fonic Arte's reaction vary when utilized with the Seventh Fonon?" She looked into his eyes with a serious expression and gulped audibly. While she did admire his fondness for learning, she wished that he would drop this topic already. It had almost become an obsession of his and there seemed to be nothing she could tell him that would satiate his desire to have the Seventh Fonon under his control.

Nebilim's visage distorted to one of worry when she noticed the color of his eyes. Since when had they been red...? 'Fonic Sight...' Hesitantly, she replied, "I-It ultimately makes no difference for you as none of you were _born_ with the ability to utilize the Seventh Fonon." She put emphasis on her use of the word "born" hoping fruitlessly that the cold hard facts would be driven home: the Seventh Fonon was an innate ability. If he wasn't born with it, then he would never have it.

Jade shrugged and his grin widened. "I know, I know, I was just joking with you." While he did ask the question enough for it to be considered some sort of repetitious inside joke by now, she couldn't deny his abnormal fixation. 'Or were you,' she pondered with reasonable concern. The crimson hue of his irises was proof that he had successfully opened the Fon Slots in his eyes; a dangerously fatal manuveur that even a well-trained Fonist would have difficulty performing, but now that they were open, his ability to utilize any and all Fonic Artes had skyrocketed. He was already a very gifted Fonist, so the only conclusion that she could draw was that he had installed Fonic Sight in an attempt to gain more advanced skills; specifically, access to the Seventh Fonon.

---

As class concluded that day, the gossip resumed. Jade was collecting his books and supplies from his desk when he unintentionally eavesdropped on some passing female classmates muttering something about a prince visiting Keterburg soon. Before Jade got the chance to overhear any further details however, Nebilim approached him firmly. "May I see you in my office for a moment, Mr. Balfour?" Jade nodded, finished gathering his school supplies, and followed her to her office, dejectedly expecting another lecture about how he was unable to use the Seventh Fonon.

Upon arriving, Jade's eyes widened. He had never before seen Nebilim's office and he instantly regretted never having requested come here sooner. The walls themselves were bookshelves packed with books; idle knowledge. He ran his hands longingly over their taut spines in wonderment, never remembering ever having been quite this ecstatic about anything in his entire life. He couldn't even formulate sentences to express his joy, his mouth just hung agape. Nebilim was very pleased to see students like him nowadays, who were so eager to learn; who enjoyed the pursuit of knowledge as much as she did. Stifling an excited giggle at his reactions to her collection, her smile swelled with happiness. "I can see you're quite taken with my collection. I love these books, just as I'm sure you're going to. You may borrow as many of them as you like from me anytime you wish as long as you promise to return them to me when you are finished reading them."

Jade turned around to face her slowly; she had never before seen such a delighted expression on the icy student's face. "R-Really? You mean it??" She nodded and couldn't stifle her laughter anymore; he just seemed so out of character! But it truly brought a smile to her face whenever she managed to instill that infectious love for lifelong learning that she had come to live by. It really made her feel like she was doing her job well as their teacher.

As she stared at his blissful visage however, she was instantly reminded of the reason behind his invitation today. "Jade," she began solemnly, instantaneously swapping subjects, "I noticed your Fonic Sight in class today."

Jade's smile wiped away right after hers, leaving behind only that trademark grin. "It wasn't half as difficult as everyone claimed it to be."

Nebilim wasn't about to bite the congratulatory bait. "Why did you do it? Your Fonic Artes were already the best in the class. You could've seriously hurt yourself, or worse..." She had no intention to lecture him on what could've happened. Nebilim had no doubts in her mind that he had done the responsible thing and done the research on any consequences that may have resulted from his risky actions beforehand. He wouldn't have tried it if he wasn't positive that he would be successful; that's just how Jade was: cold, but logical. So there was no point in dwelling on the past. All she could do now was attempt to prevent any further harm from coming to him...

"I can't choose to enhance my abilities? I don't see why the decisions I make in my life need to be justified to you." As cruel as he sounded, Nebilim was familiar enough with his mannerisms to know that he wasn't trying to be disrespectful, he was just being blunt.

"I am your professor, and as such, I have a right to know what goes on in my students' lives, especially when it affects their performance in my classroom; whether that be good or bad. So please, just tell me the truth; I'm concerned for your welfare. Did you open the Fon Slots in your eyes in an attempt to gain access to the Seventh Fonon? You remember everything I've been telling you, don't you?" He remained silent. "You have great abilities Jade, I'd even go as far as to say that you're a prodigy, but this is just one thing that you can't master no matter how hard you try because you weren't born with it. You just _can't do it_ Jade, and I don't want anything to happen to you; I really care about you." He knew her pleas were genuine, but hearing her state so firmly that he couldn't do it only made Jade feel like she was challenging him. She had previously told him that Fomicry was impossible, but he succeeded at that; he planned to succeed at this too.

Knowing full well that she wouldn't accept his honest answer though, he chose to do what he did best and decided to stretch the truth, "There's no need to worry professor, I wouldn't attempt anything that I'm incapable of." She didn't like the way he phrased his answer, but she had to trust him and decided against her better judgment to change the subject; determined to end this conversation on a lighter note.

"Would you like a sandwich, Jade? I packed two today on accident," she lied, offering him her tightly packaged lunch.

Jade raised his hand in polite refusal and shook his head. "No thank you, I don't eat meat. I appreciate the offer." Nebilim just smiled. Jade really wasn't all that bad a kid, despite what people thought of him. That was just another reason for her overprotective behavior when it came to him. He truly reminded her of herself as a child; she saw a bit of herself in every little thing he said and did. Every day was a nostalgic adventure for her with Jade Balfour as one of her students. All the more reason for her to be worried over his decision concerning Fonic Sight...

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me here, I hope you understand that I'm only trying to look out for your best interests." Nebilim said, standing and bowing to Jade as a sign of dismissal.

"Yes, I understand, professor. Thank you for worrying about me." His stale expression showed no changes as he bowed in return and they exchanged their goodbyes. Before she knew it, he had already left and the door to her office was shut behind him quietly. It was certainly frustrating sometimes, trying to read what Jade was thinking...

If he was as similar to her as she believed, then she had no doubts that he intended to use Fonic Sight to persue the Seventh Fonon. For all she knew though, she admitted, he could be telling the truth and he could've long ago abandoned all plans concerning the Seventh Fonon; she could be worrying over nothing.

In the end, Jade, Saphir, and the rest of her students honestly felt like a part of her family; like her children. She didn't want any harm to befall them. But just like any other parent, all she could do for her children was show them the correct path, she couldn't make them walk it.


	3. Prince Peony

---**CHAPTER THREE**---

Later that night, Jade had been invited by Saphir to go investigate the mansion down the street. Apparently he had overheard the gossip about the prince too. It was as if it had become a prison overnight; the building was surrounded by guards and the highest security available in all of Auldrant.

"You know, I'd bet you anything that that's where the prince is staying!" Saphir chimed in quietly. 'Talk about stating the obvious...' Jade's thoughts had been interrupted, suddenly remembering that the Fontech fanatic had been following annoyingly close behind him this entire trip, despite Saphir having been the one to have extended the invitation in the first place. "I wish I could meet him! I bet he's so cool, like you! But we really should be heading back, there are more soldiers here now than I remembered seeing earlier... M-Maybe we should come back tomorrow," his voice began to quake with a mixture of fear and excitement.

"You're right, it would be very intriguing to meet a prince." ...Had he been listening at all?? "If you really want to see him that much, then let's just go in. It shouldn't be too difficult." Jade had already begun hiding himself for the stealthy break in, but Saphir was shaking like a leaf.

"I actually just remembered I have homework to do, yes, lots of it... C'mon, let's go home, please?? We really shouldn't get mixed up with these guards! They're protecting a prince, so who knows what they'd do to trespassers!! I mean, he's the second most important person in the entire kingdom of Malkuth, so breaking and entering on him would be like signing your own death warrant!" Saphir wasn't about to leave Jade all alone here, and he couldn't very well let them capture him, so he was determined to talk him out of it.

Jade turned to him with a serious expression that didn't bear the slightest hint of a smile or grin and it was unnerving. "You wanted to see him, Saphir, so we're staying." Just that one simple statement seemed to be all that he needed. 'Jade _must_ have a plan; he wouldn't blatantly put us in harm's way for no reason,' he pondered to himself. The brunette was always so very clever... Why did he ever even doubt him in the first place? Saphir was suddenly so glad that he'd agreed to come with him tonight... As his heart filled with happiness, a slight blush rose to his cheeks.

"I see someone inside, through that window." Jade pointed toward a well lit window on the side of the house they were spying from.

"Oooh, is it the prince?" Saphir queried, prompted from his revelry to the task at hand. But looking into the window that Jade had indicated revealed nothing of significance. "I don't see any--oof!!" Before he knew what had hit him, he had felt a rough shove at his side, and the next thing he knew, he was face down in the icy snow, guards swarming him at lightning speed. The whole moment became a blurred whirlwind of shock and fear. "No! Nooo!" Saphir feared the worst and assumed the fetal position. "Jade; Jade help me! Please!" He didn't feel any attacks from the guards but knew they'd be inevitable, and desperately hoped that his Jade would come to the rescue.

But little did he know that Jade was the one who had pushed him out into the open in the first place; he'd needed a distraction in order to enter the mansion undetected. As the nearby guards all swarmed and relentlessly interrogated the pathetic Saphir, Jade was given the opportunity to crawl in through the open window he'd pointed out. He held no fear regarding Saphir's interrogation; even if he did admit to anything, there was no solid evidence that they were accomplices.

As soon as his feet touched on the carpeting of the mansion floor, Jade knelt low covertly and surveyed the area for anyone who might be able to spot him, only to find a pair of knees in his face to his immediate right. Jade stifled a grunt of shock as he fell backward onto his bottom before the figure. It wasn't very often that he was caught off guard, so he wasn't quite sure how to react. He just stared up into the other boy's cobalt eyes. They seemed to glow with some kind of hidden wisdom, some secret that was being kept from him, and this ignited his competitive nature.

"I heard...that the prince lives here," Jade stated, trying his best to sound casual. He stood slowly, not breaking eye contact with the youthful stranger.

The boy grinned at him knowingly. "You heard right."

Jade waited patiently, hoping that the boy would simply tell him where he could find the prince rather than worrying about having to inquire himself. After a few moments however, the blond boy folded his arms, as if he could stand there waiting the whole day. His arrogance really got on Jade's nerves; something that no one else had ever been able to do before. And just when he was so positive that he'd have to ask that he'd already begun opening his mouth to pose the question, the boy smiled and announced, "The prince is just a bit further inside. You can follow me!" With that, he led the way smiling and Jade took a deep breath to soothe his nerves, which were already at wit's end with this boy. It was going to be difficult to deal with someone as cunningly clever as himself.

After being led through quite a few rooms, they came upon a room that honestly looked like a rappig sty, and on top of that, it was a dead end. Jade was the one to fold his arms now and finally voiced his honest opinion to the stranger. "Look, I've followed you through half the first floor of this mansion, and despite your claims to know the location of the prince, I have yet to see him. So, now that you've successfully led us to a dead end, where is he then?" Jade didn't want to be too rude; after all, this boy could very well turn him to the guards right now if he became too unreasonable for his liking. The blond held all the cards and it made him uneasy to be on the other end of the puppet strings for once.

"My name," the boy began, and Jade released an exasperated sigh. 'Here we go... He's going to give me his life story now.' Jade rolled his eyes as he prepared for a long, lengthy wait. Was this his punishment for being so impatient with him? "...is Peony Upala Malkuth." If Jade had been drinking something at the time, he would've just sprayed it all out onto the floor like in the cartoons. If this boy's last name was "Malkuth" then that meant that... "I'm the prince you've been searching for." Holding out his arms as if to present himself to Jade, Peony couldn't help but grin.

Jade had been bested, and he didn't like it, but something about being challenged like that for once was refreshing. He grinned back, almost as if requesting a second round. A deep connection was undoubtedly established between them in that moment; one that would not soon be broken.

Suddenly, Peony's arms dropped and his eyelids widened in horror. Without a single word of explanation, he grasped Jade's shoulders roughly and with more force than his appearance begged him to believe, he tossed the Fonist onto his untidy bed in the corner of his room. Before he could protest or even retort, Jade found himself getting buried in Peony's smelly sheets. Did this boy ever clean his room?!

"Stay down and stay quiet!" Peony commanded in a pitch no louder than a whisper. Jade listened and obeyed when the method behind the prince's madness was revealed; someone was approaching his bedroom, and fast. How had he not detected something so obvious earlier? Peony acted casual as the bystander passed by slowly, the man glimpsing inside for only a moment to check on the young prince. With a reassuring smile from Peony, they left as quickly as they'd come, but when the blond turned back around to excavate Jade from under his covers, he found him attempting to climb out the back window.

Blinking absently at Jade's bold defiance of his orders, Peony quickly composed himself and yanked at the back of the brunette's shirt, causing Jade to fall back onto the bed with a light bounce. Now it was Jade's turn to blink absently. Turning the Fonist to face him and leaning in close to his ear, just in case the passerby was still close, Peony whispered, "Stay or I call in the soldiers."

Jade gulped audibly and sweatdropped. While Peony was a formidable opponent on the mental and verbal battlefields, he could be rather unsettling sometimes... This was going to be one interestingly odd friendship.

---

On his way home from Peony's mansion that night, Jade stopped by Nebilim's home, despite the late hour, and knocked on her door. The exhausted professor answered it rather promptly, rubbed her eyes tiredly, and squinted at him, as if she was having trouble recognizing his face. "Jade...? What are you doing here so late? Shouldn't you be asleep at home? Your parents must be worried sick about--"

"Saphir," Jade interrupted, "was seized by the soldiers outside the prince's mansion." His eyes trailed away from Nebilim's as she listened intently to his message. "Could you make sure that they let him go? We do have school with you tomorrow, after all." Jade bowed to signify his thanks and farewells and quickly turned around to resume the trek home. Normally he wouldn't care about what happened to Saphir, but if Saphir didn't show up at school tomorrow, then the evidence would begin to pile up that they _were_ accomplices and things may begin to get too politically and legally complicated.

Nebilim was still half asleep at the time, but what Jade had told her was rather important, so even though he'd already left as quickly as he'd come, she bowed her goodbye as well and headed back inside to contact the local authorities regarding Saphir's capture.

Meanwhile, having seen his professor again that day reminded him of their earlier conversation and served only to revive his earlier thoughts concerning her indirect challenge to him. "_You just_ can't do it _Jade_," she'd told him. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration and his lips curled into a smug grin, relishing the challenge. "Anything you can do, I can do better, professor."


	4. Nebilim's Crag

---**CHAPTER FOUR**---

"Well class," Nebilim began, "I'd like to introduce a new friend of mine today who'll be joining our class. His name is Franz and he's the son of a merchant from Chesedonia, so his customs may seem strange to you. Please show him a warm welcome." Nebilim smiled and left the room to fetch Franz and almost instantaneously, hushed murmurs blossomed from the previously pregnant silence.

Leaning over in his seat because he was so far away, Saphir shot a loud whisper in Jade's general direction, "Jade, you meanie!" Upon seeing that this spurred a reaction from his target, albeit no more than a slight glance, the Fontechnician promptly stuck his tongue out at Jade and pulled the lower lid of his right eye downward in mockery.

Jade breathed a sigh of annoyance and turned to address Saphir. "What are you talking about?" He was in no mood to deal with this eccentric boy's shenanigans today.

"When I got to your house this morning, your mother told me that you'd already left... You walked to school without me!" Slight pangs of distress were noticable through his crackling whispers.

"Oh, that," Jade replied, uninterested. He turned back around to signal his disinterest in the topic. "You were late, so we left without you." Honestly, Jade was the one who had made him late in the first place by getting him caught at the mansion last night. If he hadn't needed to get released by Nebilim, he probably would've gotten a full night's sleep and not woken up so late, but Saphir was unaware of his friend's betrayal.

His cheeks puffed up in adorable anger; not _quite_ finished complaining. He still had a bone to pick with Jade! "It's not just that either!" No response. "My house isn't a garbage dump for your smelly monster corpses!"

This seemed to strike a nerve. Saphir grinned to himself smugly as he watched Jade turn back around to face him with a confused look on his face. The brunette had decided to humor the boy just this once and give him his undivided attention, because when it came right down it, if he didn't hear out Saphir's whining till the end, there would _be_ no end.

"You threw them all in _my_ yard! Do you realize just how much trouble I got into with my parents?" No response. How could Jade turn a blind eye like this?? Did he still not know what he was talking about? "You're the only one I know who does such things to monsters... So why did you do it?? Why did you get me into so much trouble with my parents?" Didn't he care at all??

Jade just shrugged off the boy's desperate pleas. "My parents told me not to kill monsters anymore and I can't hide their bodies anywhere near my house because they scare Nephry." He didn't want to make it sound as if he cared at all what Nephry thought, but he couldn't deny that she was a deciding factor. She _was_ his sister, he _did_ live with her, and they _had_ known each other all their lives...it was only natural for them to consider each other in everyday decisions such as these.

Meanwhile, Saphir was in shock. He had nearly facefaulted at the reply he'd received. "W-Wha--" How was that justification at all? Hadn't he stopped to consider the consequences of his actions beforehand? "W-What the--" he stuttered, verbally stumbling over what to say. So many frustrated thoughts were running through his mind. "B-But how does that make it okay to do to me??"

Saphir laid his head down on the desktop in defeated frustration as Nebilim reentered the classroom and wrote the name "Franz" on the chalkboard in large, Fonic symbols. "Class, this is Franz," she announced proudly. Franz strutted into the room wearing sandals, despite Keterburg's snowy weather year-round, and immediately, the class pinned him as a dork; Jade could overhear their subtle gossiping.

"I'm from Chesedonia, nice to meet you all!" Franz announced casually, as if he introduced himself to groups of complete strangers all the time. He bowed low in greeting and quickly locked eyes with Jade. The blond locks now more apparent with him bowed before him, the brunette's eyes widened; this was Peony, the Prince he'd met last night at the mansion. He sincerely hoped that any information regarding their late night encounter had been kept secret from Nebilim...

"Franz, you may take a seat next to Jade--"

"W-WHY, PROFESSOR?!" Saphir cried in outrage, leaping from his seat dramatically. All eyes jerked around to stare at him as his cheeks lit with rosy embarrassment; that wasn't supposed to be said out loud...

"Neis! Please take your seat! No more disruptions." She picked up her attendance sheet and began taking roll call as Saphir nodded in complianceand sat back down, eyes glued to the invading foreigner. '_I've_ always wanted to sit beside Jade...' This was just not his day, he admitted to himself, still not prepared for the worst of it.

As Franz took his seat beside Jade, they almost instantly struck up a friendly conversation. Saphir's mouth hung agape. 'That newbie...is talking to _my_ Jade...!!' It had taken him _weeks_ to get Jade to talk to _him_ when he first began classes with Nebilim! What made _Franz_ so special anyway?! Saphir was infuriated and he just wanted to cry.

Flipping over his notebook and whipping out his pencil in one efficiently fell swoop, the Fontech fanatic began scribbling "stupid stupid Franz!" repetitiously across the back cover. He knew this day wasn't going to get any better and wished he could forget everything that had happened up until this point and just disappear...

---

The day seemed to pass quickly after the rough morning, fortunately enough for Saphir. By the end of that day though, despite the classwork temporarily distracting him from his Jade-related troubles, he still felt unnerved and bothered by the sheer weight of it all. He was already feeling nauscious from the unbearable anxiety. What was going to happen between he and his precious Jade now that Franz had come into the picture? What would become of them?

Speaking of the devil, Franz ran up to the inseparable duo, calling Jade's name cheerfully. Saphir jealously rolled his eyes and overheard him request that Jade permit him to walk home with them. The nerve! Saphir mentally stomped his foot in protest. He was always the one to walk Jade home! Who did Franz think he was?!

This sudden onset of distraught anxiety severely fluxuated his nauscia however, and Saphir promptly excused himself from the two boys, making a beeline for the men's restroom.

"Uhh, what's with him?" Franz asked curiously, rather dumbfounded by Saphir's peculiar mannerisms. Jade was the wiser, having known Saphir for quite a long time now.

Folding his arms, Jade answered matter-of-factly, "He's going to the lavatory; nervousness nausciates him." Grinning at the opportunity to prompt Franz on something that had been nagging at the back of his mind all day, he continued, "Peony." Franz seemed unfazed by the mention of his real name, despite his obvious requirement for an alias in public. This only served to prove the extraordinary depth of their trust after only knowing each other for such a short time. "Where'd you pull the name 'Franz' from anyway?"

"Truth be told," Franz began, folding his arms, "it's my older brother's name. Our mother's not very discreet, is she?" Even Jade couldn't suppress a good laugh when he heard one. He couldn't recall ever laughing like this with friends before he met Franz.

Their jesting was interrupted when Nebilim approached the boys wearing a serious visage. "Why are you boys still here? Class let out almost half an hour ago." Were they waiting for rides home? Had something happened? Nebilim wasn't one to let such unfounded worries best her, but her concern for their welfare was an omnipresent foe.

"We're just waiting on Saphir, Professor," Jade answered respectfully.

"Oh, Franz, before I forget," Nebilim redirected her attention from the brunette to the blond. "I meant to ask you this morning whether or not you have a place to stay while you're studying here."

Franz grinned smugly and casually answered, "That won't be a problem, I've got it covered." Reaching into his pocket, Franz revealed an abnormally large sum of money and Nebilim audibly gasped. Just the sight of such an enormous amount nearly drove her into cardiac arrest.

"Franz, p-_please_ put that away," she stammered quietly. She couldn't even look at it. He could tell the sight of the Gald bothered her, so he promptly replaced it in his pocket. He almost wanted to chuckle at her stunned reaction to such chicken feed... Petty sums like these were as nothing when compared to the funds available to him back home. Once said currency was out of her sight, Nebilim added quietly, "Please avoid bringing such large sums of money to school like that anymore, it endangers your welfare and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." The way she said it reminded him of a mother; her tone carrying with it a reassuring balance of genuine concern and firm authority. He nodded in compliance and the three exchanged their goodbyes for the day.

Just as Nebilim retreated from the duo, Saphir approached, rubbing his hands up and down his shirt front, either in an effort to pull it back down after using the toilet or to finish drying his wet hands after washing them. "Did I miss anything?" he asked, noticing Nebilim's retreat.

"We were just discussing visiting Franz's house before heading home," Jade informed him. Saphir suppressed his jealousy and forced a smile. When was this day going to end??

---

Upon arriving at Franz's home, Saphir's eyes widened. They were once again at the mansion from the previous night. Uncharacteristically putting two and two together, Saphir deduced that Franz must've been the Prince, but didn't say anything aloud so that the others didn't think he was stupid enough to just be realizing this now.

It wasn't very long after having arrived that it became apparent; his two new friends wouldn't be permitted to just waltz inside. Before Saphir could relish this triumph over the blond however, Jade reassured them. "I'll take care of it." Saphir sighed in defeat and everyone parted ways for the day. 'What could Jade possibly have in mind to get past that kind of security??' For the first time in his life, Saphir was actually hoping that Jade would fail.

The next day after school, Jade brought Peony and Saphir back to his house to reveal the fruits of his labor. "I've begun digging a tunnel underground from my house to Peony's house."

It was certainly a farfetched idea, Saphir granted, but the tunnel _was_ right there in front of him. Even if this was a labor of love from Jade toward someone other than himself, he couldn't help but praise his fine work. "You're amazing Jade! I didn't hear anything at all!" Saphir's adorable smile bloomed with admiration, truly impressed with how Jade had outdone himself this time.

Jade then proceeded to hand a lantern to Peony and a shovel to Saphir. Looking from the shovel to Jade, Saphir seemed confused by the implications. "What's this for...?" he queried innocently, hoping that Jade wasn't honestly expecting him to...

"For digging the tunnel of course. I told you that I began digging it last night, so today, you can finish digging it." Saphir looked over at Peony pathetically, as if to ask why the newcomer wasn't contributing anything of his own to the tunnel's construction. After all, it was a tunnel to _his_ house... "Peony is our guest and a Prince no less, so I couldn't very well ask him to dig. We'll be right behind you," he concluded, gesturing for Saphir to lead the way, who reluctantly did as he was told. Honestly, how did he get mixed up in these things??

Following behind him as they'd promised, albeit somewhat far behind him, Peony and Jade began yet another conversation that failed to include Saphir. The mauve-eyed miner shoveled weakly at the tunnel, wanting desperately to finish this quickly in order to impress Jade, but at the same time, wondering why on Auldrant he was helping the two get together. They would be able to see each other whenever they wanted after this! And where would _he_ fall into their plans?? Was he even in them anymore? His eyes welled with tears but he kept himself from audibly weeping. After this, he would be lucky if Jade ever even looked him in the eyes or called him by his name again... He felt some mucus begin to dribble down his lips from his nose and decided that in the end, Jade's happiness was all that mattered to him.

"How you got him to agree to do this, I'll never understand Jade." Peony commented, watching the unusually loyal boy dig quite a ways in front of them.

"It's something I don't fully understand myself, but he's willing to do almost anything for me for whatever reason, and I'm not one to let such rare research opportunities go to waste."

Peony grinned. "That's evil, dude." Jade shrugged and the two chuckled. "I like the way you think though. You really know how to turn your lemons into lemonade...or in this case, your stalkers into free labor."

Once the joking had subsided, Jade turned to Peony to pose a pressing concern. "In case anyone else discovers this tunnel, seeing as we do live with other people, maybe we should establish an entrance password. Don't let anyone through to your end who doesn't know the password. Agreed?"

"Undoubtedly, but what should our password be? It can't be anything that can be easily guessed," Peony noted. Jade nodded in acknowledgement and began to brainstorm passwords with him.

Eventually, Saphir finished digging the tunnel for them and went home without a word to Jade or Peony. Neither of them had any idea that more of Saphir's tears went into finishing their tunnel than hard work.

---

Later that night, when sleep proved a futile endeavor, Jade and Peony decided to test out their newly established bond and met up in the tunnel. It was rather late, but the excitement of the day was like an insatiable adrenaline rush in their bloodstreams that refused to let them rest. They talked nearly the whole night; no topic was left untouched.

"It must be difficult to lead such a sheltered life here. You need an alias, 24-hour protection, and can't even arrange to hang out with your friends or family. You're like...a caged animal." The irony of the statement leaked onto the floor as Jade sliced slowly into the abdomen of a defenseless rat on the tunnel floor. Its squeaks of pain didn't seem to affect Jade at all; his scarlet eyes glued attentively to the torturous task at hand.

"It's just until I'm done with my education. Then I can be myself again and I'll get to become Emperor of Malkuth. Not like _that_ animal right there," Peony pointed at the twitching rat beneath Jade's scalpel.

Dodging his obvious attempt at a topic change, Jade pushed his knife further into the rat to take a peek at his tiny organs. "You'll still be caged as an Emperor too. You'll be a slave to your people."

"It has lots of responsibilities, yeah, but it's not so bad when compared to this. You don't know how hard it was for me to adjust to the name change. For weeks, people were trying to practice addressing me as Franz and I wouldn't catch on. I kept thinking they were talking to my brother."

"I suppose you're right." Jade finally made the final slice so that the rat's mangled body lay in two neat piles of dissected organs and digits. "And since you're going through this 'educational-alias' stage unlike most royalty, you'll be more accustomed and attuned to the cares and needs of everyday people."

"Exactly! It all works out." After a moment of silence, Peony couldn't resist saying something any longer. "Dude, don't take offense or anything, cause I love torturing ants with magnifying glasses just as much as the next guy, but why did you just dissect that rat? Don't you think that's a little harsh?"

Taking a second to appreciate his work, Jade's crimson eyes stared blankly at the defiled corpse, as if he lacked remorse for what he'd done. It was downright creepy, like he didn't have a soul. "I want...to know everything about the world..." It was this bloodthirst that seemed to mask his strong desire for knowledge; or maybe it was the other way around? Just thinking about what Jade had said and what he didn't say; just seeing the look in his eyes when he took apart innocent creatures sent a subzero shiver up Peony's spine. But when he really thought about it, where would his country be today if there weren't once curious people like Jade who dissected in the pursuit of medical research? Jade _did_ mention earlier that he had been considering a future career as an autopsist...

"As for me," Peony began, leaning against the wall of the tunnel leisurely and kicking back to get into a comfortable position, "I want to know everything about that cute angel in our class, Nephry." At hearing his sister's name, Jade's eyes darted up from the remains of his experiment and shot a glance at Peony. Peony wasn't sure if the look in his eyes held intrigue or contempt, so he just ignored it and closed his eyes, perhaps finally beginning to fall prey to sleep's seductions, and grinned wide at the very thought of her. There were countless girls he'd met that struck him as cute despite his young age, but this one was different, he was sure of it. "There's just something about the way she makes me feel when she's around, you know? Maybe I'll be able to marry her someday and make her my Empress... Empress Nephry Malkuth... Doesn't it have a simply dreamy, angelic ring to it? Have any girls you met ever made you feel like that, Jade...?" Peony asked innocently, for once seeking reassurance from Jade rather than a cunning challenge or joking laughter.

Jade didn't quite catch on and remained silent, ignoring his final question. All this talk about girls being dreamy sounded just plain wierd coming from Peony, and it made Jade's stomach turn...which was quite the feat considering he was just dissecting an animal, an act that would almost instantaneously gross anyone else out to the point of regurgitation. Did he even realize that Nephry was his sister?

---

The next day at school, all of Franz's reactions were sluggish as he didn't get much sleep the night before. He enjoyed spending time with Jade, but he made sure to mentally note never to stay up that late with him again. For some reason unknown to everyone else, Saphir was also fatigued. Truth be told, he had been up all night crying over the loss of Jade and worrying about what was going to happen between them now that he and Peony were inseparable friends. In a single day they had established a deeper connection than they had, and he'd been friends with Jade for years now!

Once classes had ended and the three of them had gotten together to discuss their plans for the remainder of the day, Saphir confessed some of his more subtle worries to the others. "Do you think that Professor Nebilim knows about Franz's secret identity...? What if we get caught visiting him through the tunnel one day or we slip up in class and use his real name?" Saphir tried to keep his voice down, but worry heightened its pitch. He couldn't help it if he instinctively feared for his precious Jade's safety!

Jade glared at him. "We won't have anything to worry about if you keep _quiet_ about it," he warned calmly. Little did they know that they'd been overheard...and not five moments later, Nebilim approached the trio from behind. Saphir shrieked in terror, having been startled in his overly-anxious state.

"Please come see me in my office, all three of you," was all she said to them. Saphir panicked and Jade gulped audibly. You would think that anything enough to shake Jade would be more than enough to shake Franz, especially when it more than likely concerned him, but he didn't seem fazed by her demands.

Upon arriving in her office, they all took a seat and she locked the door behind them. "Franz... Prince Peony?" She looked to him from the doorway and he nodded. She breathed a stressed sigh and grasped her temple as she took a seat. "Obviously, I overheard your little discussion in the hallway, so I'll get right to the point." All eyes turned accusingly to Saphir and he shrunk back in his seat, again wishing he had the ability to just disappear.

"You all know about his true identity _and_ visit him through an underground tunnel?" Her students were more cunning and clever than she could've ever imagined...to think that her pupils could outsmart the highest security in all of Auldrant when they weren't even trying!

All three of them nodded in guilty admittance to her accusation. "You know that because Prince Peony is royalty and is attending this school without protection that he is put at serious risk, don't you? He is in danger every day that he's outside those mansion walls. Are you all willing to accept the consequences of your actions? Do you understand the seriousness; the _gravity_ of this situation?" She wasn't about to break up their friendship, but she had to make sure that they all knew what they were getting themselves into and understood what that meant for their new friend. If they agreed to this, then she would trust them...taking responsibility for your actions was a part of growing up and maturing, and she knew that Jade, for one, was very mature. She had no doubts that he would guide them all to make the right choice.

After they gave her their answer and Nebilim permitted them to leave her office and head home, Saphir began to skip merrily. "I'm so glad that Professor Nebilim understands; I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders!" His smile was sickeningly cute to Jade, who was desperately attempting to ignore him and his annoyingly bright attitude.

Peony quickly picked up on Jade's discontent with Saphir and shared the sentiment, so when Saphir stopped his skipping for a moment to scoop some fresh snow into his hands, Peony darted by him, stole it from his grasp, and began to firmly pack it in his hands.

"Give that back!!" Saphir demanded, his attitude promptly turning sour. Why couldn't they just let him be happy for a little while?! Why'd they have to pick on him like this when he was so clearly suffering in the shadow of their happy presence?

"All right! Whatever you say!" With that, Peony threw the snowball at Saphir, who predictably failed to catch it and soon felt the sting of packed snow melting on his frostbitten cheeks. Getting a good laugh out of it himself, Peony hoped that he had successfully cheered Jade up, but didn't stick around to find out. The meeting with Nebilim had set him back and he was late to get home. Waving quickly, he ran off in a fit of laughter at Saphir's expense.

Noting that Jade showed no signs of caring about the abuse against him in the slightest, Saphir just stared at his lost friend with a look of depressed longing. More tears stained and stung his porcelain cheeks as he dropped to his knees in the snow, and all Jade could think about was why Nebilim had not tried harder to convince them to leave Peony be.

He understood her persistant concerns regarding his pursuit of the Seventh Fonon, but surely Peony was a much more pressing matter that she'd feel more urgent to drive home. He was a Prince after all! How was his pursuit of the Seventh Fonon more dangerous than endangering the welfare of his country's heir?? It just didn't add up.

---

The next day was the start of the weekend so the trio decided to take a little walk up to Mt. Roneal together. In an attempt to get the fun rolling, Peony whispered, "Did you see that...shadow just now?"

"...W-What shadow??" Saphir questioned worriedly, wandering closer to Jade for protection. "Is it a monster??" As if on cue, a thunderous noise echoed off the mountaintops causing Saphir to jump, clutching at Jade's clothes pathetically. "J-Jade, what do we do?!" The waterworks soon followed and Peony couldn't restrain his laughter. While it was a hilarious idea, Jade admitted, he wished that Peony had given Saphir something else to wipe his tears on...because where Saphir left tears, he also left a trail of mucus.

Wrenching his arm from Saphir heartlessly, Jade resumed his walk up the mountain with Peony, leaving Saphir to aimlessly wander around in the snow seeking shelter from imaginary monsters. "This guy is too much fun!! Where was it you said you found him again? Did you meet him in Professor Nebilim's class?" Peony asked.

"Unfortunately, I've known Saphir for longer than Professor Nebilim's been teaching here."

"Speaking of the little runt, where'd he go? Wasn't he clinging onto you a moment ago?" Peony began glancing around for any sign of him, but since his hair was almost the same hue as the snow, he was having difficulty locating him.

"Don't remind me," Jade spat, grimacing at the fact that he'd more than likely find booger stains on the back of his jacket later.

"Ah, there he is!" Peony cheered, running over to a frail figure hunched up against a nearby tree. Jade started to wipe the snow from Saphir's clothing for him after Peony helped the delirious boy up out of the snow. Suddenly, Saphir felt a little better...a little.

"I thought I was going to die out here!! Why did you push me away? Why didn't you come help me sooner?! What if the monsters had gotten me by then??" Saphir cried, honestly having feared for his life, and secretly Jade's as well.

"Relax, I was just joking with you. There are no monsters; you're perfectly safe." Peony waved off Saphir's pleas and resumed his trek with Jade, expecting Saphir to follow loyally as he always did.

The abused boy just hugged his jacket tighter to himself, hoping to warm up a bit after his fit in the snow and muttered to himself, "You two are so mean to me..." He went to wipe his runny nose on his sleeve when he decided that there might be a better way to go about it. "Do either of you have a tissue on you?" Saphir queried politely, despite how they'd been treating him.

"No," one of the boys in front of him replied with a stale voice. He couldn't tell offhand which boy had replied to him, but he assumed hopefully that it was Jade.

"Well, what about a handkerchief?"

"Why don't you just stop being picky and wipe it on your sleeve already? We didn't bring any tissues for you, Runny, because we didn't expect you to start crying and dripping your snot everywhere anytime we made a joke." Jade smirked at Peony's new nickname for Saphir and suppressed a chuckle.

"Just shut up, Peony! You know, I really hate you!!" Saphir had always been told that hate was a strong word, so he refrained from using it, but he was telling the truth now. Jade had always treated him somewhat badly, but Peony was so forward about it that he didn't even try to mask the abuse. He would take it from Jade, but Peony never earned the right! "I hope you get attacked by that Yeti from earlier!!"

Peony couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Saphir still believed his joke and honestly thought that there was a Yeti out there trying to get them. "You know Jade, I don't think we're wanted here. I guess we're not allowed to have fun as long as Saphir has anything to say about it."

"Shut up, that's not what I said at all!! You're twisting my words against Jade! Don't make me wipe my nose on you!!" Saphir knew for a fact that Jade hated his runny nose and wisely assumed that Peony must hate it too, therefore making it sufficient leverage in his argument. But knowing that he needed to back up his threats with action if they were to be taken seriously, Saphir leapt forward, without giving Peony a chance to escape, and began wiping his nose on the back of his shirt relentlessly.

"Ah!! Oh Yulia, EW!!" Peony's arms began flailing comically, like those of a frightened little girl, desperately trying to release himself from Runny's clutches. "GROSS! I'm _not_ a tissue!!" However, their comedic dance of stupidity hardly entertained Jade today. He wandered away from the dualing duo and let his own thoughts consume him...

Despite Saphir's obvious emotional faults, he was an undeniable genius of sorts, just like himself, but in a different field. While Jade excelled at almost everything he did, he prided himself in Fonic Artes. Saphir generally only excelled in Fontech. Nebilim always started teaching her students about all fields of study concerning Fonons to help them grasp an overall understanding and to assist them in discovering where they excelled. Then, she taught them everything they wanted or needed to know about their field. Both he and Saphir were honestly still learning, despite their undeniable talents. Since his own Fontech skills were lacking, Saphir would eventually come in handy if he ever wanted to mass produce or artificially amplify any of his Fonic Artes...like say, those associated with the Seventh Fonon...

Jade grinned, Saphir always had so many good uses despite how annoying and difficult he was to tolerate...he would be so hard a pet to get rid of when the time came that his uses were exhausted. Although he had to admit that Peony was doing a fine job of that on his own. He still needed Saphir a bit longer...he needed the boy's Fontech expertise. What if it was his key to harnessing the Seventh Fonon?


	5. The Seventh Fonon

---**CHAPTER FIVE**---

At the end of classes that day, Saphir had his project nearly completed, so he requested to stay after school with Professor Nebilim to finish working on it. Being the kind professor she was, she happily obliged and helped him move the remainder of his project into her office because the classroom needed to be cleaned and locked up for the day.

Peony not having come in today, Jade had generally kept rather quiet and hadn't uttered a single word to Saphir even when they walked to school together that morning. He was genuinely worried about him and decided to take this opportunity to try and get on better terms with him so that he could cheer him up. Peony had driven such a thick stake between them so quickly...had it really already come to the point where his Jade wouldn't even acknowledge him unless he was assisting Peony in abusing him? Saphir frowned as he approached Jade, who was already leaving, not seeming to care that Saphir wasn't escorting him home today.

"J-Jade," Saphir began. Jade stopped, but didn't turn around to face him. "Would you stay after school with me? I...I don't want to walk home...without you." No response.

Saphir waited loyally however, despite the unsettling silence, promising himself that as long as Jade remained standing there before him and didn't walk away, there was still hope for them. After a few minutes of contemplation, Jade turned his head ever so slightly, as if he was straining to see behind him without actually turning around. "All right."

Saphir was overjoyed, as was Jade, although the latter didn't show it. He planned to use this "quality time" with Saphir as an excuse to do some studying in Nebilim's office and to approach the Fontechnician about constructing Seventh Fonon-based Fontech. All the pieces would fall into place soon, very soon. Jade turned to face Saphir and grinned.

Knowing that he would get better results from Saphir through appeasement, Jade grinned at Saphir and took his hand gently, leading him wordlessly into Nebilim's office. Saphir had never felt so heart-wrenchingly happy in his entire life and mentally thanked Yulia for giving him this second chance with Jade.

---

And so, the three were hard at work in Nebilim's office. Saphir was working on finishing his semester project (a Fontech robot with AI), Nebilim was taking notes on tomorrow's lesson plan, and Jade was reading from random books on her vast bookshelves. He would often jump from one to another erratically when he spied an intriguing title along a nearby spine, leaving a towering pile of unfinished reading material beside him.

When Jade ritualistically looked up from his speed-reading to glance at the other idle books in her collection, he immediately dropped the book he was holding. Despite its disrupting thud upon impacting the floor, no one's attention was caught. This was at least the fifteenth book he'd discarded in his haste for knowledge. But the book he spied now was different.

_Exotic Artes of the Seventh Fonon_, the Fonic title along the spine read. Jade grabbed at it greedily, ready to drink in _any_ information concerning the Seventh Fonon. Conveniently, when skimming the Table of Contents, he found a chapter that gave general introduction instructions on how Seventh Fonists isolate and utilize the Seventh Fonon for the Fonic Artes described later in the book. Too easy! It was just a simple incantation. Was this all there was to it?

Not one to pass up an opportunity, Jade decided to give the chant a shot, and with Nebilim and Saphir in the room, they'd both get to witness his triumph over this supposedly innate ability. He grinned wide and began muttering the designated words. He'd show them all within mere moments; his skill surpassed genetics. His skill surpassed theirs. His skill surpassed _nature_.

Nebilim's keen hearing, despite her age, didn't fail her. She recognized his hushed mutterings immediately and dropped her pen in shock. "Oh Yulia, no... T-That's the Seventh Fonon--!!" She leaped from her seat; her abrupt urgency throwing the chair she was seated in to the ground with an ear-shattering crash. It proceeded to knock down nearby items like dominoes with its sheer size and force. But little did they know that the destruction had only just begun.

"Jade!!" she cried helplessly as one of her legs caught on a fallen item and tripped her up. She hit the floor, just as the chair had, with a fleshy thud. "STOP!!" her voice cracking weakly in fear. Saphir jumped and dropped what he was doing when Nebilim's reaction to Jade's incantation startled him. He wasn't completely sure of what was going on, but knew from Nebilim's countless lectures on the topic of the Seventh Fonon that those born without it, like Jade, couldn't use it. But she never _did_ mention what would happen if they tried anyway...

Saphir uncharacteristically ran to Nebilim first and foremost, trembling slightly due to her sudden outburst frightening him, and helped her up. She was injured and Saphir suggested she go see the nurse, but she didn't even acknowledge his assistance with appreciation. "JADE--!!" she cried, as if the fate of the world rested on him stopping his chant. Was this really _that_ dangerous?? Saphir looked up into Nebilim's eyes worriedly. Her crimson orbs reflected no emotion other than fear and brought Saphir no comforts.

Meanwhile, as Jade read, he could feel the gathering of the nearby Fonons into his Fon Slots. The First through Sixth were all there, waiting for their foreign sibling to arrive, but containing Fonons was no simple task. At first he had no difficulties, but the longer the Fonons idled, the more pressure they exerted on him. They desperately desired to either attain the final Fonon or to separate, and Jade could hold them off no longer. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he realized that the Seventh Fonon wasn't going to head his summons. His concentration was broken and the Fonons contained in his Fon Slots violently repelled one another. He was blown backward by the force of a Fonic explosion before him. Heat enveloped his form in a fiery gust as he realized the force had caused enough friction among the gathered Fonons to ignite many surrounding items...and people.

Nebilim's form was caught fire before him, her clothes quickly singed away and her snowy hair burned brightly in the flames. The scent of her burning skin was overbearingly sickening so he promptly covered his nose. His eyes widened in shock staring at her...but staring was all he could think of to do...he hadn't been prepared for this outcome at all... It wasn't long before her screeches of pain pierced his ears as well...she just wouldn't stop screaming...

"PROFESSOR! Professor Nebilim!?" Saphir's voice cracked and clawed at Jade's ears as it reached unbearably high pitches. "Jade! Hurry and get help!! JADE!!" The boy was huddled in a corner away from the fire crying his eyes out; Jade could barely piece together what he had said as it was (due to the stress of the situation) without him panicking on top of it... All sounds were breaking up and blurring together in the surreality of the situation... 'I... But I only... This...This couldn't possibly be happening...'

"J-Jade--" Nebilim gasped, the lack of oxygen in the vicinity of her flaming body becoming apparent. He could barely breathe himself, but for a different reason. He got to his feet, trying to maintain sanity, but began to lose his composure as she continued. "You..prom..ised...me.." His body quaked with guilt and fear. For the first time in his life he was honestly scared and had no idea what to do, which only served to heighten the level of terror.

She stumbled forward as the flames licked at the remaining skin on her legs, buckling them so that she collapsed before him pathetically. He jumped back, staring at her and not looking away even though that was exactly what he wished he could do. Jade wanted nothing more than to believe that if he'd just look away, he'd find an untouched office; everything as it had been not five minutes ago. But deep down, he understood the reality; that looking away wouldn't make this any less real. "W-Why..." '...did you betray my trust...??' She had put so much faith in him...

He would never forget that moment, his breath caught in his throat as he saw her blinking slow to a stop and a single tear slide down her cheek, only to quickly dry up on the heat of her singing flesh. Unknown to Jade however, she wasn't crying over the physical pain, but the emotional pain. He had betrayed her trust, and it was costing her life; the worst part being that her death meant that he could never redeem his mistake. Jade blacked out and collapsed on the floor not far from his fallen professor.

Finally, the fire alarms began to sound and the sprinklers in the ceiling activated. The cold shower woke Saphir from the safety of his corner and he uncurled himself from the fetal position he'd assumed. Unlike Jade, he'd fallen prey to the wish; the seductive hope that ignoring the situation would make it go away, and now, as he looked around and his puffy eyes stared in devastation at his surroundings, he realized his error.

He stood slowly, still shaking, and approached his friends. The flames consuming his professor and her surrounding possessions had been promptly put out by the sprinkler systems, but the damage had been done. The bookshelves and their residents were all but charred remnants of their former selves; he feared that if he even so much as touched a book it would collapse into a pile of ash. He couldn't ruin Nebilim's books, she loved them so much... She'd want to see that they're all still okay when she recovered...

Knowing that the fire alarm's sounding would only attract accusing eyes, Saphir did the only thing he could think of. He summoned the depths of his bravery and strength and grasped Jade around the waist. His limp body was taxing on Saphir's smaller form, but he endured... Then he picked up Nebilim as well, who weighed much less now that most of her body had been burned away. She almost...felt hollow to him now... Had she really been this light?

Just as he was about to leave with their unconscious bodies in tow, the door burst open and the nurse came rushing in, having seen the smoke pouring from the bottom of the door and heard the alarms. She immediately dropped her supplies to the floor and covered her mouth in disbelief when she surveyed the extent of the damages, gasping at the severity of the situation. "I..I can't possibly... What's happened to them?!" Saphir knew from her reaction that there was nothing this healer could possibly do for them. He didn't know what on Auldrant _he_ could possibly do for them that she couldn't, but her inability to assist was undeniably apparent.

So doing possibly the only cruel thing he'd ever done in his life, he firmly grasped the idle forms in his arms and rudely shoved the nurse aside. His visage turned serious; there were no more tears. He had to save them. The nurse was left in a stressed heap by the doorway. Not even she knew what to do in this situation.

Saphir had taken their unconscious bodies and ran. He ran as far as he could to the only safe haven that his mind could recall. It was a small shed on the outskirts of town. Laying Nebilim's body out in a dignified position, he sighed in relief, seeing the rise and fall of her chest that signaled her continued survival. Not normally one to be cynical, Saphir frowned at this and worried... Underneath it all...she was suffering, wasn't she? Did she even want to continue living...like this?

Glancing beside her, he remembered Jade and laid his body out too a ways away from Nebilim's so that he wouldn't have to see her immediately after waking. It had all happened so fast... "Jade, why did you have to do that?" Saphir whispered. His Jade had never before displayed such a critical lapse of judgment...he could have very well killed their professor...the only real friend either of them had in the world besides Peony and each other.

Saphir caressed Jade's chilled cheek and wished he could turn back time. But now they had a situation and they had to put aside their problems...which under the circumstances, Saphir was willing to admit existed. He labored daily under the delusion that they were best friends, but frighteningly real situations such as these really change people, and Saphir was no exception. Bearing no smile, despite being in Jade's presence, he called Jade's name a few times to wake him. They needed to think of a plan...and he couldn't do it without him.

Soon enough, Jade stirred. "Where...am I?" he asked, holding his head.

"We're in a shed outside of town. The fire alarms went off, so I think it's safe to assume that the school will soon be swarmed with soldiers and townspeople..." Jade stared at Saphir. The face resembled that annoyingly cheerful boy he'd come to know, but his words portrayed a serious integrity that defied his character. Since when had Saphir been so mature about things with Jade rather than obsessing over him? Just then, the gravity of the situation weighed itself on him and screams of pain tore through his mind...her haunting screams echoed like those of a tortured soul...he almost lapsed back into shock at hearing them again.

"...Professor, where is the professor??" Jade queried in a panic. "Is she all right?? Tell me, Saphir!" Jade being so inexplicably angry and demanding frightened Saphir back into his previous state and he couldn't fight the oncoming lapse. He was only a child! How could he pretend to be calm about this?? Fresh tears trailed down his face as he pointed wordlessly to their professor's body across the room. "The nurse showed up soon after you passed out...but there was nothing she could do... Professor Nebilim's burns were too severe...it was useless..." The way he was talking, it had sounded like...

"She's dead?!" Jade shouted in a feral tone at Saphir. The brunette's sudden rage took Saphir by surprise as his hand darted out and yanked roughly at Saphir's hair. The boy yelped in pain and cringed helplessly as Jade's hand remained firmly grasped in his locks and pulled his face in close to his own, daring him to verify his assumption.

"I-I don't know!! I saw her breathing a few minutes ago...!" As the infuriated Fonist released his victim's hair and stood to approach Nebilim, Saphir stood as well and demanded attention, despite any further abuse he may suffer. He realized now that Jade was the one being immature here. If he didn't stand up to Jade now and try to calm him down, then the situation would only spiral. "Why did you do it, Jade? Professor Nebilim has told us time and again that the Seventh Fonon is impossible for normal people to use! You could've very well killed us all!" 'I'm sorry for being so forward with you, but I need to know...' "What were you thinking??"

Jade halted in his tracks but didn't turn around. His voice was as high and raspy from the duress of everything as Saphir's was. "No, I'm _not_ normal like all of you! I'm a gifted prodigy! I read it in a book so," Jade paused as he finally came to understand what Saphir was getting at; what he was trying to make him realize. "...I thought I could do it..." His voice was quiet now as he looked down upon his professor's charred body. All he could think of when he looked at her was that stare...seeing that tear dry up on her face in seconds...seeing his professor so weak and helpless at his own hands that she couldn't even cry...and her screams...they would haunt him for years to come.

"What are you saying?? That's no excuse! Jade, what are we going to do now??" Saphir was crying openly and honestly; he was bearing his soul to Jade now and just wanted it all to end. Why wouldn't Jade just help him figure out how to solve this already??

"Stop crying!!"

Why couldn't everything just go back to the way it was??

"...P-Professor..." Saphir whimpered.

And for a moment, the only sound in the room was his crying...

The only movement in the room was the rise and fall of Nebilim's chest, which was gradually slowing...

And the only feeling in the room was hopelessness.

---

"...Saphir. Guard the door and don't let anyone inside. I've got an idea."

Saphir could only assume what Jade had in mind and decided the situation couldn't get any worse, so he followed his hunch blindly. "Jade, please don't..." '...haven't your Fonic Artes done enough damage already?!' Saphir's head was rhythmically shaking back and forth in persistent protest.

"Then what do _you_ suggest we do?? Are you telling me that you're okay with _this_?!" Jade waved his hand toward Nebilim as if presenting her dying body to him for the first time. Just looking at her made Saphir want to vomit and cry; of course he wasn't okay with Nebilim's death! But Fomicry on human beings?? Replicating people?? He was positive she would rather them remember her rather than replace her...

"No, but... Fomicry works fine with inanimate objects because they just have a physical structure to replicate, but I have doubts about it working on humans who have unique intangible qualities as well..." '...can you replicate her personality, Jade? Her soul? Can Fomicry replicate the way she cheerfully greeted me every morning or the way she smiled at me when I was feeling down?'

Jade whispered to himself, "This Arte, Fomicry, is...her last chance..." Thoroughly confident, despite his misplaced confidence earlier that caused this whole mess in the first place, he finally turned around and faced Saphir. "You'll appreciate this when she's finally back to her old self again." Saphir wordlessly kept watch at the door as Jade asked, finally deciding that this _was_ their only option, and it wasn't like Jade's decisions were something easily changed...he was a stubborn boy, and Saphir knew that better than anyone.

Jade traced out the designated Fonic symbol and began to chant. Beside Nebilim's body, a blue glow emanated from a newly birthed form that bore a striking resemblance to the Seventh Fonist. The replica had been created and there were no visible physical deviations...it appeared to be a rousing success. This replica looked just like Nebilim had before this whole disaster! "Jade...you did it!!" Saphir cried happily, running over to the boy and his creation.

Suddenly, the replica twitched to life and the boys looked on excitedly at their renewed professor.

Meanwhile, beside her, the unnoticed original's breathing finally slowed to a stop.

Gelda Nebilim was dead.

---

The door burst open noisily as the replica began to stand, but ultimately went unnoticed in its shadow. Nephry looked on into the eyes of the replica and saw an empty crimson sea... They may have fooled Jade and Saphir, but they didn't fool her; these lifeless eyes didn't belong to their professor... "That monster...isn't Professor Nebilim...!!" she gasped, noticing the charred remains of the true Gelda Nebilim on the floor of the shed beside them. The replica looked at Nephry with a feral thirst...but when it realized that none of the room's occupants bared what she craved, she roughly shoved them all out of her way and ran from the shed.

"P-Professor!!" Saphir called after it futilely. Jade just lowered his head. 'So Jade noticed too,' Nephry thought, approaching him.

"What happened to P-Professor Nebilim...??" Nephry asked in cracked whispers, hiding in Jade's shadow while in the presence of the corpse. She didn't want to be anywhere near it and instinctively hid behind him in the simpleminded belief that her big brother would protect her.

Jade just extended his arm toward Nebilim's body as if presenting it to Nephry, acting like there was nothing more to the story. Nephry looked to him and back to Nebilim, and while she couldn't quite piece together the puzzle, she knew there was no use in prying it from him. She knew that if it was important enough, he'd tell her. Or maybe...he was just hurting too much to tell her right now. Jade never showed his feelings, but he was her brother and she knew him pretty well. She knew...that Jade was hurting inside. He just had that gift of a born poker face...his eyes never betrayed him.

Nebilim had always been there for them all, as their professor, as their counselor, and as their surrogate mother. She loved them...and they loved her... Before she realized it, Nephry was crying, and she turned to Jade and hugged him tight, sobbing into his jacket. His eyes never strayed from Nebilim's body, never looked once at his sister who was bearing her heart's sadness to him, and never let even one tear fall. His face couldn't be read but his actions could be as he laced an arm around his sister and began to whisper comforts into her ear.

Jade hadn't noticed it, but Saphir had approached him from behind at some point and was standing beside him and his sister. Seeing that this was a sensitive moment and knowing that he had to choose his words carefully if he was to cheer them up, Saphir spoke up quietly. "...Maybe next time...we can do it together."

He looked up into Jade's eyes hopefully, which were still glued to Nebilim, and predictably failed to read the boy's thoughts. Honestly, Jade was dealing with his own pain, his sister's pain, and more than his share of guilt. There was a replica of Nebilim out there somewhere wreaking havoc, an entire office in their school had been torched, and he had murdered his professor...one of the most cherished people in his life. Hadn't he done enough??

"Shut up!!" Jade finally spat. Why on Auldrant would Saphir even entertain the idea of a next time after what'd happened tonight?? "Don't you realize what I've done?!"

Gelda Nebilim was dead.

And Jade was crying.


	6. Replicas

**---EPILOGUE**---

Jade was never caught nor disciplined as Nebilim's murderer; the exact cause of her death remained a mystery. The only people to know the truth were himself, Saphir, Nephry, and Peony, who they confidentially confessed their shameful failure to in the aftermath.

Despite what he'd said that night, Jade ended up accepting Saphir's offer to try again with his help. They decided to collaborate their strengths to try and revive their professor once more, but this time, they would be smarter about it.

Resuming their education under a new professor, Jade and Saphir performed solo research outside of classes on the Seventh Fonon, Fomicry, and any possible connections those could have to Fontech. Of course, their efforts were known only to Nephry and Peony, a secret these friends kept as well hidden as Nebilim's murder.

Nephry and Peony never encouraged Jade or Saphir to pursue Fomicry Fontech; but by the same token, they never_discouraged_ it. The idea was very tempting to children their age and it gave them hope. There was still a chance that their beloved professor could be revived! Unfortunately, it couldn't be denied that the initial results were less than desirable, causing them to be on the fence regarding the entire matter. Nephry and Peony agreed to keep the operation a secret for them as they _were_ all very close knit friends, but never openly assisted in their endeavor.

Through their persistent research, Jade and Saphir discovered that Fomicry of the soul was impossible without the Seventh Fonon. While using the First through Sixth Fonons would create a perfect replica of anything without distinct intangible properties (like the soul and personality), the Seventh Fonon was required to replicate living organisms. So what would happen to replicas of biological creatures that weren't created with the Seventh Fonon...?

Not long after the failed replication of Nebilim, there were consistent reports of murders in the Keterburg and Mt. Roneal areas. While the murders weren't very frequent, the victims were _always_ Seventh Fonists. Nebilim's replica was combing the area for what she lacked; she needed the Seventh Fonon, being a replica of a living being, so she continuously pursued those who had it. While killing the Seventh Fonists would indeed provide her with what she craved, it was not a permanent fix. She would temporarily receive the Seventh Fonon's supportive effects, but would eventually need to replenish her supply; they were not being absorbed into her being because they were not a part of her genetic makeup in the first place.

The reports of this serial Seventh Fonist killer would continue for years until one day, she was located in an abandoned mountain crevice near Mt. Roneal guarded by constant blizzards. The authorities were unable to defeat or apprehend her due to her overwhelming Fonic strength, so she was instead sealed away in the crevice. Said crevice came to be known to Jade and his friends as Nebilim's Crag once word of the seal reached them.

It was around their graduation, about ten years after the Nebilim incident, that Jade and Saphir realized that their research could not continue without access to excessive funding and more classified information. At this point, being best friends with the new Emperor truly became a benefit. Peony introduced Jade and Saphir to a lot of loaded higher ups after his ascension to the throne, and frankly, the "snobs" were quite impressed with what they saw. Almost immediately, Saphir got hired as a military Fontechnician and Jade was adopted into a rich military family: the Curtiss's. As a result, Jade, Saphir, _and_ Peony were relocated to Malkuth's capital, Grand Chokmah, and their old lives back in Keterburg were abandoned; from that point on, there was no turning back. Jade Balfour dropped his family name rather than hyphening it and became the soldier Jade Curtiss. Meanwhile, back home in Keterburg, Nephry eventually became Governor.

With access to confidential documents and military funding, Saphir's Fontech abilities seemed to improve exponentially because he could purchase better equipment and materials. Jade's research also benefited; the best kept secrets of the entire kingdom of Malkuth became his own personal fountain of knowledge, and his thirst never seemed to be satiated. Not a stone's throw from his childhood dreams of becoming an autopsist, Jade also took to collecting and dissecting the corpses he slew in battle as a solider as part of his research. Because their motives were confidential at the time, gossip among soldiers and citizens alike spread worldwide about the undefeatable soldier whose victims were never seen again. The nickname "Necromancer" was bestowed upon him because not even the corpses were left in the wake of his destruction; the assumption being that he magically raised those he'd slain and had them fight alongside him.

The best of friends quickly began to grow apart. Nephry and Jade never much spoke to one another anymore except on business despite being brother and sister, Peony was always busy with royal and governmental duties, and even Saphir and Jade began to drift apart despite being members of the same military organization. Knowing the necessity of working together if they were going to revive Nebilim, Jade and Saphir appealed to their military superiors. Unfortunately, without good reason, it seemed that they wouldn't be permitted to collaborate...

And so, Jade and Saphir confessed their research topic to their superiors in the appeal attempt, which only served to further impress them in an overall success. The two were permitted to work together in the research and development of Fomicry Fontech given that they promised to deliver results. Since they no longer needed to hide their research, it wasn't long before Fomicry Fontech prototypes had been completed, and their first guinea pig was the recently deceased Fon Master Ion. Given that the Order of Lorelei was the most powerful religion in Auldrant and that the Fon Master was their leader, Ion's sudden preteen death would not have boded well for their image. The replica of Ion that the two made seemed perfect, with only minor flaws that could be easily fixed.

For whatever reason, despite how hard they upgraded their efforts or studied their findings, the Ion replica didn't live very long and eventually, the two were creating replicas of him left and right to cover for the Order. Hopelessness for their underlying cause set in when they began to develop automatic failures; replicas that were too unlike Ion or so warped in their biological makeup that they were even unfit for life. It seemed that the more they replicated Ion, the more of the original's genetics were lost. Failed replicas were always promptly put out of their misery...it was admittedly the hardest part of their job.

Every time they had to kill another failed replica, Jade couldn't help but recall his sins and _knew_ that Saphir must've been dying inside too... The guilt built up inside him as they took and created life after life, playing the Gods and teetering on the edge of a fate worse than Hell; an eternity of suffering in an endless abyss of nothingness...

---

"Your highness," the kneeling Colonel began.

"Please, don't be so formal with me! I'm still not used to that," Emperor Peony laughed as he stood from his throne.

"But you are still the Emperor of Malkuth and I should exercise the proper respect." Jade stood as well and watched as Peony approached with a happy smile on his face, grinning himself. "Just because we grew up together doesn't mean I should get special treatment."

"No, no! Of course not," Peony remarked sarcastically. "So how are you?" he queried, shaking Jade's hand in greeting and then placing his hands on his hips. "How's Nephry?"

Jade shook his head mentally at Peony's forwardness. Even after all these years, the blond still pined for his sister. "We're both fine, rest assured." Jade did feel bad for Peony though, to be so hopelessly in love with a woman he could never have? Perhaps Peony did see his title now as a curse, as he'd predicted in their cave over ten years back... "However." Jade felt obligated to alert him to her current status, seeing as, while Peony and Nephry may not ever have had a chance at being an item, they had still been friends for half their lives. "She recently was engaged to be married. In less then a year, we'll be addressing her as Governor Nephry Osborne."

Jade could see the hurt in his eyes even though his proud smile didn't budge. "I'll be sure to send her my congratulations then." Peony had always really liked her, in fact, one would almost say that he only had eyes for her, even if he did have an occasional fling on the side. She was the only woman he ever truly loved; he never saw any other woman the way he saw her. And in the end, it was their births that separated them. They could never be together because Emperors could only marry other royalty to keep the bloodlines pure.

"Anyway," Peony resumed, changing the subject. "The loss of Hod was very serious. It's really killing us out there." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "We lost land, fellow royalty..." Jade's grin thinned itself out as he began to notice where this was heading.

Not wanting to hear anything on the topic, Jade turned to leave, but Peony grasped his shoulder to stop him. "It wasn't my idea, all right? I was told to let you know that it's something that they want you guys to look into. You know that if it were up to me, I wouldn't even have brought you guys onto the research and development team under the pretenses of pursuing Fomicry. You two are really smart and amazing researchers; you're both above all this." Jade's gaze lowered to the floor. "As an Emperor, yes, I'm asking you to look into replicating Hod, but as a friend, I'm begging you to resign from the team and give up on Fomicry. From the moment you guys told me about the incident with Professor Nebilim, I knew that this Fomicry stuff was bad news. First, you guys replicated a loved one, then you guys began replicating for other people, and now... It's bad karma is what it is! And I don't want it coming around and biting you guys in the--"

"Don't you think that I know all of this already?" Jade snapped. "I thought you said that you knew I was intelligent?" he followed up sarcastically to lighten the initially biting comment. "I didn't see it at first because my sight was too fogged by my own selfish desires, but it didn't take long after my adoption to realize that your military was just using me. None of us could've seen this coming because we thought _we_ were the ones holding all the cards...we were young and reckless then. It just looks like we didn't outgrow it. Don't worry; I don't blame you...I don't blame any of us." '...except myself.' "If you claim to know me at all, then you know that you can trust me to do the right thing."

Jade felt Peony's hand leave his shoulder after a few silent moments, and at hearing no response from his colleague, Jade left the throne room.

---

_"Goodbye, Saphir," Jade spat coldly, staring back at Saphir with pure contempt. His heart nearly shattered seeing his best friend look at him that way... Jade may have never liked him very much, but this visage reflected no hope whatsoever._

_"Wait, Jade!!" Saphir called out as Jade turned to leave. What had he done to make Jade leave him? Why was he doing this?! Even when he reached out his hand to grasp Jade's and prevent him from leaving, he would always fall short. 'Please, give me one more chance...'_

Saphir bolted upright from under his covers as he awoke. Tears framed his eyelids and his heart felt heavy, so very heavy... '...I had that dream again...' ...And every time he did, he would wake up crying like this. He dreamt it so often nowadays...dreamt of Jade's eyes staring back at him coldly before abandoning him...and he couldn't help but worry that it was a sign of things to come.

Hugging his knees to his chest, Saphir cried.

"I'll be taking my leave," "See you later," and even, "Well then, I'll be going now," were always farewells of Jade's that gave reason for him to smile because it meant that he'd eventually return to him, but hearing him so heartlessly just sever their connection with a curt, "Goodbye,"... It was something that Saphir feared more and more every day as their Fomicry Fontech hopes lost their luster: that Jade would give up on their research...on him...and just leave it all behind.

Later that day, his foreshadowing dreams came to fruition as Jade approached him and announced his resignation from the project. Jade was abandoning him. A cynical side of him almost remarked that it had only been a matter of time...but his loyal side dominated his personality, as always, and wasn't willing to give up on his best friend. They couldn't give up now! They'd come so far...

"You're just stopping our research!? Without even asking me first??"

"I can't stand idly by anymore and ignore all of our wrongdoings. We can't revive Professor Nebilim like this. I will _forbid_ Fomicry; it's useless for mortals to play God."

"It's not useless! We can bring her back, with your research and my Fontech!" Saphir didn't understand why Jade was giving up now... Did they give up when they failed? No. Did they give up when they lacked funding and information? No. Did they give up when the military tried to divert their efforts? No! Why was now any different? What made this situation so different that he'd be willing to throw away over fifteen years of progress? Of their lives together?

"...I've already made my decision." Just then, the cogs of Saphir's memory sprang to life and he realized how this situation was made different...

Jade had been receiving an awful lot of mail from the Emperor lately...and Peony never _was_ supportive of Fomicry. "...Peony put you up to this, didn't he?"

"His opinions had no bearing on my decision."

"_Liar_!! The Jade I know wouldn't say that! He wouldn't give up!"

Jade's eyebrows furrowed and his voice rose in anger. "What do _you_ know about _me_?" Saphir was so shocked by Jade's retort that he didn't know what to say. Did Jade really think that they were so different that they didn't even understand each other? The heaviness returned to his heart as Jade continued. "_None_ of the Ions we replicate are exact copies. You can't bring the dead back to life." His voice had deepened in reflection and shame. "I _killed_ Professor Nebilim."

Jade spoke their childhood secret.

Hearing it aloud devastated him; winded him. The reality of it weighed on Saphir's shoulders and he visibly began to slump. "...Stop it, Jade..." Jade would never have done that...would never say things like this... He spoke lies...this wasn't his Jade... Ever since she died he'd been like this...so different...so foreign...someone else... If she came back, Jade would return to his normal self again and trump this imposter who called himself his friend...

"I just couldn't accept her death, couldn't see our lives without her, so I wanted to bring her back," Jade continued, ignoring Saphir's plea.

"...I told you to stop..." Saphir covered his ears and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing...

"But now I know that it was useless. You can't call back the dead. That's the reality of it. That's why--"

"Stop!!" Saphir screamed desperately, reaching out to grab Jade like in his dream. He had to stop him, stop this, before his worst nightmares came to fruition!

Feeling Saphir's bony hands dart out and grip his arms tightly, Jade's voice lowered once again to an unforgiving whisper. "--I will forbid Fomicry."

"The hell you will!" Saphir yelled, standing up for himself, for the Jade he once knew, and for all he'd worked so hard to achieve. "I-I'll continue the research without you! By myself!"

"And I will stop you." He spoke without hesitation. Jade's eyes looked down on Saphir, down into them with an intimidating, unwavering determination. Saphir was rooted to the spot. M-Maybe if he reasoned with Jade...

"You can't! Jade's changed since Professor Nebilim died... Your laugh is fake, your anger is an act, and you never speak honestly! Once I bring the Professor back, the real Jade will come back to me!!"

"...Saphir, this_is_ the real me. People change. That's all there is to it--"

"You're wrong! You don't know it yet, but you're suffering! Your true self is dying inside that hollow shell you're hiding in and that's why it's up to me to save you! I'm your friend!"

"You may call yourself my friend, but who's_your_ friend, Saphir?" Jade's biting accusation that Saphir was friendless and alone in the world didn't phase him this time.

"I will _make_ you accept me!!"

"No matter what?"

"No matter what it takes!"

And that was that. Jade's unwavering form tore himself from Saphir's grip and turned to leave the room.

Jade abandoned Saphir.

Jade was no longer himself, but Saphir was _also_ no longer himself. He'd become crazed with rage, loneliness, confusion...all the most powerful emotions stirred within him, and in the mind of this weary genius, they were nothing short of dangerous.

'... Soon, I will perfect Fomicry Fontech and Jade will return to his senses...' Yes; Jade would return to his senses, they'd revive the Professor, and they would all be the best of friends again... He could see it now! Professor Nebilim would be there, and Jade and Nephry would be there, and so would he. 'Peony can return to us too, if he wants... But I was never too fond of him anyway...'

That day marked the start of a dangerous delusion...the birth of Dist Ortion Neis, the "Reaper."

---

The sound of rappigs echoed throughout the palace. All in all, Emperor Peony owned six pet rappigs, but five of them had gone missing this afternoon...

"Hmm... Jade, Aslan, Gelda, Nephry. One more to go," Luke mused as he rounded up the rappigs. Jade rolled his eyes at the mention of each rappigs' name.

Luke may have thought that the names were cleverly cute, but honestly, they were just the names of Peony's friends! In fact, four of their etymologies could be traced back to their childhood... 'Gelda...' Jade lamented, his pained gaze wandering upward. It was somewhat ironic to think on now...Professor Nebilim was nothing but kind to him. She showed nothing but love and concern for him, and in the end, it was his fault that she was no longer among the living.

He almost hated Peony for naming one of his rappigs after their late mentor. It had become a haunting curse that he just couldn't escape since he worked and lived here under the Emperor. Every time he heard that rappig's name, Gelda, it was like he was being stabbed in the heart once more for his sin...

He remembered when he first confronted Peony about his misjudgment in name choice, (almost) begging him to reconsider. His blond friend simply countered by saying that while it was true that sadness and remorse would inevitably be tied to her name because she was no longer with them, they had many happy memories of her too. Their childhood wasn't all angst and depression; they'd had a lot of fun together and they all meant so much to each other. Looking at what had become of them now, how far apart they'd grown, Peony admitted that he only named his rappigs after those closest to him. He wanted to remember all of the good times he shared with those friends, no matter how far they'd strayed from him, every time he played with his rappigs.

"...So that just leaves Saphir, right Jade?" the replica inquired, waking Jade from his chain of memories. Luke was the first replica born of his Fomicry that Jade had ever really gotten to know, and it had changed him a lot. For the better, he was sure...even if Luke's troublesome actions sometimes gave him reason to rethink such.

He found it entertaining actually that Peony had named his sixth, most recently acquired rappig after Luke, who refused to acknowledge such. Jade didn't like acknowledging his corresponding rappig either... It didn't help that Peony had gone on a Jade rappig rant earlier, creepily referring to it as his "cute little Jade"... It seemed like everyone who'd ever impacted his life was here in the form of a small pack of rappigs...

"Yes, I believe that was its name..."

He hated to admit it, because it was a truly childish desire, but much like Saphir, Jade would've given anything to return to the days of their youth, before his foolish dreams of Fomicry. Unlike Saphir though, Jade wisely realized the folly of living in the past and moved on with his life, even if he _was_ weighed down by regrets. Saphir fought to this day against him, positive that the Jade that existed now was not the same Jade he was friends with so long ago. But by the same token, Saphir was also fighting _for_ him, naively believing that if he could revive their Professor, then Jade would revert to his old self. Saphir believed that he was saving him.

Peony and Saphir had always acted so selflessly for his sake, whether they be cursing him or praying for him. For better or worse, it couldn't be denied that they truly made up the bulk of his childhood and had molded him into the detestable man he was today... 'And I hate them for that so very much, I really do...' ...But deep down, he forgave them somehow...because he realized that in the end, it wasn't them for whom he held so much contempt, but for himself.

"All right then! Let's go find him!"

Jade nodded firmly in agreement. After all, what kind of rappig world based on his childhood would it be without a Saphir? Following after the hyperactive redhead, Jade slipped his hands into his pockets...

---

"C'mon Colonel! All aboard!" Noelle called happily. Jade turned his head to face her, his revelry focused in Luke's direction having been interrupted. He nodded to her and resumed his trek onto the Albiore.

Once inside, he wordlessly seated himself and buckled in, eyes still somewhat focused on Eldrant's sunset. His hands had created so many failures, like Nebilim, yet had also created so many successes, like Luke. Though there were many things in his life he wasn't proud of, he realized that whether or not he created Fomicry, people like Nebilim's replica still would've existed and so would people like Luke, because replicas _were_ people.

Yes, it was wrong of him to play God, but his intent was pure. Anyone would've wanted the same thing. And despite the current intolerance for replicas, even those pure of heart like Luke, he hoped that someday they would be accepted, because just like people, replicas felt and bled, were good and bad, and could live and die. What he needed to do now was not to forbid Fomicry, but to make this world a more welcoming place for all the innocent lives he'd born into the world. Replicas--people--like Luke deserved just that: the right to be considered equals, to feel human, and to live.

He couldn't take back what he'd done, but he could make it right.


	7. Author's Notes

---**AUTHOR'S NOTES**--- 

ETYMOLOGY  
The title Precious Gemstones came from the fact that the Keterburg crew's names came from the names of gems: Jadeite, Nephrite, Sapphire, and Upala (which literally means "precious gem").

---

I was asked in the reviews exactly how much of this came from official sources.

Here's the Breakdown  
-Prologue/Chapters 1-5 were all taken from rough translations of the JP ToA novel.  
-Epilogue section 1 was written FROM MEMORY. I do not claim any of it to be correct or official. I had to improvise because this portion was not provided in the translations and it would've been odd for me to jump from Nebilim's death to his resignation from Fomicry research without some kind of segueway.  
-Epilogue sections 2 (Jade & Peony) and 5 (Jade leaving Eldrant) were taken from rough translations of the JP ToA novel.  
-Epilogue sections 3 (Jade & Dist) and 4 (Jade & Luke) were taken from rough translations of the JP ToA Character Episode Bible.

Translations were written by Pic-Murasaki and taken from her LiveJournal; they were provided to me by my friend Mony. All translations were brief descriptions of events, therefore, I had to improvise on emotions to try and make the story more real. THOUGHTS, ACTIONS, and EVENTS in the sections taken from translations are ALL OFFICIAL, however, the FEELINGS and EMOTIONS I give them to portray ARE NOT.

---

ERRORS I REALIZE I MADE  
-Nebilim's rank in the Oracle Knights was Locrian Colonel.  
-Nebilim wasn't on leave from the Oracle Knights as a professor, but had actually resigned from the Oracle Knights to become a professor.  
-Meetings I set in Nebilim's office were actually at her house. (Therefore, the nurse from Chapter 5 was actually just a passerby who happened to be a healer Fonist.)

---

Feel free to Message me with more questions!

I hope you all enjoyed reading Precious Gemstones.


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